12-2010 Technology to aid the disabled

Arpit
is a child suffering from cerebral palsy*. His condition restricts him
from physical (motor) activities that are quite normal to human beings.
He also finds it hard to speak and move. In today's world, we all are
aware of the role that computers have begun to play in our lives.
Computing has evolved from being a stationary machine, to enabling
people on the move via handheld devices. The dependence on computers
has increased so much that being a computer illiterate is considered
akin to being illiterate altogether. But the situation is very
different for people like Arpit, who are suffering grave disabilities,
and for whom computing devices offer little help.

[*As stated in
Wikipedia, cerebral palsy (CP) is an umbrella term encompassing a group
of non-progressive, non-contagious motor conditions that cause physical
disability in human development, chiefly in the various areas of body
movement.]It is this challenge that motivated Arun Mehta, a
passionate engineer, to develop a one-of-a-kind solution to help Arpit
learn the basics of communication using computers. In no time, the
child was able to type his name, identify pictures, and play games,
among other things--just like normal people.

The technology that
drives the 'wheel' Mehta, an ex-employee of Siemens AG, is a vociferous
supporter of open source platforms. He developed the tool, christened
'Arpit's Wheel', using simple computing hardware and FOSS (free and
open-source software) tools and frameworks, which later bagged him the
Manthan Award in 2008 in the e-inclusion category.At
first glance, it is hard to believe that the tool is meant to aid a
serious case of cerebral palsy. The set-up includes nothing but normal
computer hardware, including a PC monitor, CPU, speakers, etc. However,
for an input device, Mehta has replaced the traditional keyboard and
mouse with a gaming console that we normally see kids playing racing
games with. "This is because Arpit cannot control his hand movements,
which makes it extremely difficult for him to type or navigate using a
mouse," explains Mehta.

'Arpit's wheel' runs on software developed
by Mehta. It's called Skid, and this, along with the framework which it
is built on (Ruby on Rails), interacts with the Internet browser (a
version of Firefox).

But what is Skid?

The
Skid software is mainly a combination of many smaller modules, which
help the child communicate using computers. The basic modules start by
helping the child do elementary tasks such as identify pictures, pick
the odd one out, spell words, play educational games, etc. As soon as
the child starts to feel comfortable with the software and different
modules, the existing modules could be redesigned, or new modules
created for advanced communication such as email, instant messaging,
Web chat, etc.

According to Mehta, Skid is free to download, and can
be used to develop a number of applications. But what was the reason
for going with the Ruby on Rails framework? "We were looking for
something that would be easy to develop applications on. Another
consideration was to work in a language in which it would be easier for
others to build modules and functionalities as well," says Mehta. Apart
from this, it is based on common Web standards like HTML and HTTP. Web
standards do not fade away with time, as do other technologies, which
go through their different life cycles. Part of this work philosophy
comes from Mehta's stint with Siemens, a German company where he learnt
that every technology should ideally be designed to be 'future-proof'.

However,
while designing modules for Skid, one of the things to be kept in mind
is the nature of the disorder, its level, and the age of the child, he
adds.

The future

Mehta
feels the future of this communication system lies in adapting and
moving it onto mobile phones, mainly because mobiles offer a variety of
ways to input data and interact with the device. He elaborates: "Modern
smartphones have touchscreens, physical keypads, camera input, GPS,
accelerometers which sense change in movement and orientation, voice
recognition, and a whole lot of features that can be used to input data
into the system and get the desired results."

Some of the recent
versions, like the iPhone 4, come with a gyroscope, which can
accurately measure a user's motion and direction changes in 3D space.
Such features can be exploited to build apps that would further aid the
learning of children with special needs. Mehta also thinks that in
order for this communication platform to gain more recognition and
acceptance, it needs to be further refined on a commercial scale, in
consultation with specialists like psychologists, neurologists and
top-notch medical and engineering colleges.

Certainly, if adopted
on a large scale, Arpit's Wheel has the potential to change the lives
of millions of disabled children. A celebrated physicist like Stephen
Hawking, who himself suffers from a type of neurological disorder, can
afford to have a sophisticated program that helps him talk. But people
with limited means can benefit immensely by inexpensive innovations
like 'Arpit's Wheel', which is indeed a commendable step to help
provide disabled children with a self-sustaining life.